


Unsteady

by UnsealingKale



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: AU, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hoarder, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Original Character Death(s), Rhett is a jerk at first, Romance, Yikes, poor attempt at writing, very unrealistic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-01 20:00:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17250452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnsealingKale/pseuds/UnsealingKale
Summary: Rhett wants absolutely nothing to do with his neighbor, a hoarder with greasy hair. Except, maybe Bevin’s really not so repulsive after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So... I’m not sure where this is going or if it’s going to go anywhere at all. This is a work in a progress and I’m terrible at finishing the stories I write. I usually try to write before posting, but then I never finish anything at all. I hope this way will work better for me. I just couldn’t get the idea for this fic out of my head after watching the Bevin’s Haul Heaven video again the other day. He seems like someone who really needs some love.
> 
> Update: This fic really isn’t very good. Like, at all. Especially the last few chapters. You should probably hit the back button and find something else to read.

In the two days since Rhett had moved into his new house, he had learned that it was impossible not to stare at the hoarder’s house that was directly across the street from his own. Rhett tried to keep his eyes on the woodworking book that was cradled in his lap, one of his feet slowly rocking his chair back and forth, but his gaze kept drifting across the narrow paved lane. He hadn’t yet seen any sign of the man who supposedly lived in the run down cinder block house, so he let himself stare for a long moment, taking in the chipped paint and the many missing shingles, the broken windows, and the overgrown lawn that was full of rusted metal car parts and plastic bins stacked three high. Torn bags of garbage littered the lawn, and what looked like a child’s plastic pool was turned onto its side and propped against the front door. Rhett had never seen so much junk in his life, and that was just what he could see from a distance. How much more was there? What did the inside the of house look like? Phantom roaches skittered across his skin at the thought, and he leaned over to scratch his ankle. He suddenly regretted choosing to sit out on his covered front porch to take a break, nice breeze or not.

Maybe it had been stupid of him to buy his own house sight unseen, but it was too late to change his mind now. The friendly neighbors who had dropped by earlier to welcome Rhett with cookies had warned him to stay far away from the hoarder house and the man who occupied it. Apparently he was just as filthy as his home, and half crazy too. No wonder the neighborhood house prices had been so low.

Just then, almost as if he had felt Rhett’s stare or heard his thoughts, the hoarder house’s front door swung open and a man appeared on the lopsided porch. Rhett couldn’t look away, his mouth hanging open in shock as his eyes examined the man. He didn’t know why, but when he’d imagined the man who lived there, he had pictured an old wrinkly man with a long grizzly beard and a big beer belly. He had never even considered that it might be a young man with shaggy dark hair and a clean shaven face. It took him a moment to realize that the man was staring right back at him, and he looked back down at his book, pretending to read.

“Hello,” the man called. “You must be the new neighbor. I saw the moving truck the other day.” His voice was uneven and slow, with a strange almost-accent to it. It sounded as if speaking took him a lot of effort. 

Rhett looked up and found the man waving at him. He was dressed only in yellowed pajamas that hung on his too-thin frame, and Rhett wondered if they were yellow with age or with urine. He didn’t want find out. He looked back down at his book, feeling unsure what to do. He didn’t want to be associated with the neighborhood hoarder, but he couldn’t bring himself to be mean to the man. “Yeah, hi,” he called back, cautiously.

“My name is Bevin. Who are you?”

“Rhett,” he called back, his eyes still focused on the book. He supposed it didn’t hurt to share that much with the stranger.

“What are you reading? Must be good if you can’t look up from it.” Bevin gave a nervous chuckle.

Rhett looked up to find Bevin halfway across the street that separated their lawns. Rhett stood, dropping his book and nearly tripping over his own feet as he inched toward his front door. From this distance, he could see the greasiness of Bevin’s hair, and his stomach churned. It was plastered to his scalp like he’d gone a year without washing it, strands falling limply across his forehead. Rhett could only imagine the smell.

Bevin stopped where he was, his shoulders slumping. “What’s wrong? I just wanted to shake your hand and, you know, welcome you to the neighborhood. Be a good neighbor.”

“Don’t even think about touching me,” Rhett said firmly, shuddering at the thought. He stepped into his house and slammed the door shut behind him, locking it quickly. It took him a second to remember that he’d dropped his book, but he wasn’t going to be able to go back outside to get it for a while. 

He looked out the peephole in his door and watched as Bevin stumbled back across the street to his own yard. It almost looked like his shoulders were shaking, but Rhett just rolled his eyes and went to choose another book from the stack he had unpacked earlier. Maybe soon he would have cable and internet to help keep him entertained, if the company ever came to set them up. He really needed to take a break from opening boxes and arranging furniture, but now he’d have to sit inside to read. He didn’t really mind, since at least Bevin wasn’t able to give him any more trouble that way. 

And if he started to feel bad for hurting the odd man’s feelings, well, he didn’t let himself linger on it for long.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s another chapter for you. I really hope to keep making progress on this. :)

Rhett had just turned off his reading light and rolled over onto his side under the covers when he heard the first scream ring out into the night. He couldn’t tell which direction it came from, but it didn’t matter. He was sure that it was from the house three down from his. The group of roommates who lived there had apparently decided to extend the festivities into a second night. Why did people insist on having wild parties in the middle of the night? Especially two in a row. He would never understand it. He would call the police about the noise disturbance if he could be sure that no one would know it was him, but he didn’t want to pick up a reputation for being a grumpy man who was old before his time, the kind who yelled at kids to get off his lawn. He pulled his pillow out from underneath his head and put it over his face instead, trying to drown out the noise. He was starting to wonder if he would ever get any decent sleep in this new place.

Ten minutes later, he woke from a light sleep with his heart pounding in his chest. It suddenly clicked in his mind that he didn’t hear music or talking, but just screaming, over and over, and it wasn’t the happy screams of a party-goer. With a reluctant sigh, he pulled himself from bed and threw a robe on over his pajamas, listening as the next scream came and then faded. He tucked his phone into his pocket and slipped on a pair of shoes, grabbing a flashlight before he walked out the front door.

The night air was chilly, but Rhett didn’t feel it. Now that he was outside, he could hear that it wasn’t just screaming, but pleas for help. And it was coming from across the street. Bevin’s yard. A shudder ran through him. He looked around, taking note that the other houses around them had dark windows. He was the only one who heard the screams, or maybe the only one who was willing to go outside and find the source. He had to go see what was wrong.

Clicking on his flashlight, he hurried across the road. He slowed as he stepped into the messy yard and said a silent prayer that he wouldn’t step on a rusty nail. “Hello?” he called, as he made his way around the house. “Hello!”

“Help, someone please help,” Bevin begged. “It hurts!”

Rhett gasped when he finally found the man. “What in the world,” he mumbled to himself. Bevin was on the ground, with his legs and most of his lower body pinned beneath a giant tire. It was like something off of a big truck. Rhett shined the flashlight in Bevin's face. “Are you-” He cut himself off before he could ask if Bevin was okay. The answer was obvious.

Bevin squinted up at him, and Rhett could see that tear stains covered his face, hundreds of tracks left behind in the film of grime that covered his skin. “Rhett?” he asked, with a sharp inhale of breath.

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s me. I’m here to help you.” He just hoped that he would be able to move the tire by himself. He bent to lift it off of Bevin, putting all of his strength into moving it. His back strained and twinged as he shifted the heavy tire, but he didn’t stop. Bevin screamed again as Rhett moved it off of him with a final push. He knelt down beside Bevin, shining the light in his face again. “Are you okay?” he asked the stupid question anyway, and then followed it up with, “Is anything broken?”

“I don’t know. I- I don’t think so,“ Bevin said. Tears spilled down his cheeks and face as he began to cry again, in relief or pain, Rhett didn’t know which.

“Can you sit up?” Rhett asked, his voice gentle. 

“I- I was so scared.” Bevin blinked rapidly as his teary eyes adjusted to the light, and Rhett was struck by how blue they were. He didn’t know why, but he hadn’t expected them to be such a pretty color. He was reminded of how shocked he had been when he’d found out how young Bevin was, and so unlike his stereotypical image of a hoarder. He pulled his own eyes away, turning the flashlight to look at Bevin’s legs, which were revealed up to his knees because his pajama pants were pulled up. They looked okay, just a few red marks and some spots that were already starting to form bruises.

“Shh, you’re safe now,” Rhett murmured, trying to offer comfort. “Come on, try to sit up for me.”

Bevin reached for him, and it took Rhett a moment to realize that he wanted or needed help sitting up. He took a deep breath before he took the offered hand in his own and pulled Bevin up into a sitting position. How long had it been since Bevin had last washed his hands? Rhett shook the thought away and wiped his hand carefully on his robe, watching as Bevin pushed himself unsteadily to his feet.

“Thanks,” Bevin said, his voice soft. He stumbled like a baby deer trying to walk for the first time, and Rhett fought the instinct to steady him, instead keeping both hands by his sides.

“So, how did you end up underneath that tire anyway?” Rhett asked. He didn’t know why he asked. He wanted to get far away from the filthy man and his death trap of a yard, and he needed some decent sleep before he had to show up for his first day at his new job, but his curiosity won out despite it all.

“I, um, took it from the, uh, dump,” Bevin said. “I thought it would make a nice flower bed. I rolled it all the way home before it fell over on me when I tried to turn it around.”

Rhett wanted to ask who in their right mind would look at such a massive tire and think it would make a nice flower bed, but he bit his tongue. “Well, I wouldn’t try to move it around more if I were you,” he warned, his tone more stern that he meant it to be. 

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Bevin said. “Thank you for helping me, Rhett. Really.”

“Oh, it’s not a big deal,” Rhett said, with a shrug. 

“Yes it is,” Bevin said firmly, and Rhett had to look away because he couldn’t take the adoring look in the man’s eyes. “I know what the neighbors say about me. None of them came to help me. They would have been happy to let me be crushed to death.”

Rhett didn’t know what to say to that. No one else had showed up to help, that much was true. But as dirty and weird as Bevin was, he didn’t deserve to be left to suffer, his screams going unanswered. “I’m sorry. Do you-“ He took a deep breath. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Bevin said. “I’m pretty sore, but I’ll probably be all better by morning.”

Rhett nodded. “Well, I’d better be going now. I need to get some sleep before morning.”

Bevin flinched as if he’d been punched. “Oh, oh, I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t wake you up with my screaming.”

Rhett shook his head, wondering when he had started to feel sorry for Bevin. “I’m glad you did, man,” he said, and he gently patted Bevin’s shoulder before carefully wiping his hand on his robe again. He’d have to throw it in the wash as soon as he got home. “Here, I’ll walk you to your front door.”

As they walked together, Bevin thanked him three more times, and Rhett finally told him to stop. He wondered if the other man had anyone at all who cared about him, and a sadness settled over him at the thought of Bevin being all alone in the world. “You have a good night,” he said, as Bevin stepped up onto his rickety front porch.

“You too, Rhett,” Bevin said, and gave a little wave before he slipped inside his house.

When he crawled back into bed around five minutes later, Rhett found it easy to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 3, much sooner than I expected.

Rhett wondered if he had finally lost his mind when he placed his foot on the first step. The wood shifted and creaked under his weight as he stepped up onto the porch, threatening to give way at any second. He swallowed hard and knocked on the door, casting his eyes around to see if anyone was watching him. It was dark enough that he shouldn’t be easily visible, but he couldn’t be too sure.

The dim porch light above the door flicked on. Seconds later, the door opened and Bevin poked his head out before slipping through. He looked at Rhett, his eyebrows crinkled in an expression of confusion. “Rhett? What are you doing here?”

That was a good question. What exactly was he doing here? He pulled his eyes away from the other man and looked down, noticing the wide rip across the knee in Bevin’s yellowed pajamas. Dried blood had soaked through the fabric. How had he not noticed that yesterday? He frowned. “I, um… I just wanted to stop by and check on you after what happened last night. How are you doing?”

“I’m okay. Sore, but I’ve dealt with worse.” 

“Your knee okay?”

“Yeah. I actually did that this morning when I was, um-“ He stopped himself and shrugged. “I was doing some work.”

“Oh.” Rhett looked back up, his heart sinking when he noticed that the tear stains from last night were still visible against Bevin’s dirty skin. He lifted the paper bag in his hand. “Are you hungry? I brought you some of my dinner, if you want it.” He still wasn’t sure what had compelled him to wrap up a meal and take it across the street, but here he was.

Bevin looked at the bag, his expression unreadable. “I have food, Rhett.”

“Oh, yeah, of course you do. I just thought maybe…” Rhett stammered, his face nearly on fire as realization set in. He should have stopped to think that maybe this would go wrong and Bevin would take it as an insult. Of course he had food. He wasn’t homeless and begging for scraps on the street corner after all. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Bevin shifted, playing with his fingers absently. “What is it anyway?”

Rhett looked down at the bag. “It’s just a couple of bean burritos and some rice with salsa, nothing fancy. Couple of bottles of water too.”

“You made it just for me?” Bevin asked in a soft voice.

“Well, I was making my dinner and I noticed that I happened to have some extra, and I thought you might like it,” Rhett said, but that wasn’t exactly true. He had been cooking for himself for long enough to know exactly how much he needed. He had deliberately made extra for Bevin, but he wasn’t going to admit to that after having already made such a fool out of himself.

“Did you eat already?”

Rhett sighed. This was a huge mistake. “Not yet, no. Like I said, I’m sorry for assuming. I’ll save it for lunch tomorrow.”

“Okay, or, if you want, we could sit on the porch and share?” Bevin suggested, his voice wavering as it so often did, making it sound like each word took effort to get out.

Rhett didn’t think he could say no. He had already embarrassed himself, and besides, he was pretty sure that Bevin was as just lonely as he was. With a sigh, he looked around again, searching for any passing cars or curious neighbors going for their evening walks. Seeing no one, he nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Bevin looked up at him, making direct eye contact with Rhett for the first time since the night before, and a smile turned the corners of his lips up just a bit, revealing the braces on his top teeth.

If there was something endearing about that, Rhett refused to acknowledge it.

They found a relatively clear spot among the plastic bins and sat down cross-legged beside each other, Rhett making sure to keep some distance between their knees. The porch shifted with their movements, groaning in protest, and Rhett had to consciously remind himself to breathe as he tried to get comfortable.

“I only brought one fork,” he pointed out, as he began to unpack their dinner. 

“That’s okay. I don’t like rice anyway,” Bevin said, waving his hand. He accepted the bottle of water Rhett handed him, twisting the top off and taking a sip. “Mmm, cold and fresh,” he murmured, closing his eyes.

Rhett chuckled under his breath as he scooped some rice into his mouth. “Isn’t all water fresh?”

“No,” Bevin said, but he didn’t elaborate. Instead, he picked up his burrito and bit into it.

They made light conversation while they ate, talking about nothing and enjoying the late evening breeze. Bevin picked at his food more than ate it, but Rhett didn’t say anything about that. He ate until his belly was full, but once his hunger was gone, he began to notice the ache in his lower back. Sitting like this didn’t exactly help. He rubbed it, kneading his muscles as well as he could. It would help if he could stretch out, but he didn’t dare lie down on Bevin’s porch. There was a nearly one hundred percent chance that the house had some kind of infestation.

“Are you okay?” Bevin asked, as he sat his own half-eaten burrito down on the bag.

“Yeah. Just a twinge,” Rhett said. A sudden image of Bevin rubbing his back crossed his mind, and it took all he had not to snort in disgust. He wouldn’t let those filthy hands touch his back for anything. He’d find some medicine when he got home. “So, you don’t like the burrito?” he asked, hoping to change the topic.

“I like it,” Bevin said. “I thought I’d save the rest for later. I’ve got some leftover canned chicken that would be good with it.”

“Oh, okay.” Rhett shifted in preparation of standing, hoping for some relief. “I guess I’d better be going then,” he said, as he pushed himself to his feet. “It’s getting pretty late.” He should have brought his flashlight with him for the walk home.

Bevin stood too. “Well, thanks for stopping by. This was fun. I haven’t had a picnic in years.” Another small smile graced his lips.

“Me neither. It was fun,” Rhett agreed, and he found that he was telling the truth. It had been nice to sit and eat with someone. Much better sitting at the table all alone. “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”

“You could…” Bevin started, but then stopped. He rocked nervously on his feet.

“I could what?” Rhett asked.

“I mean, only if you wanted to, of course, but you could, uh, come back tomorrow or something. We could do this again?” Bevin shrugged like it was no big deal to ask, but Rhett could see the tension in his body as he waited for an answer.

He should say no. He wasn’t supposed to want to spend time with the neighborhood freak. But despite his conflicting thoughts, he found himself nodding his head. “Sure. Anything you like better than burritos? I could bring whatever you want,” he offered, covering his bases before Bevin offered to make the next meal. Canned chicken didn’t sound like anything he wanted to eat.

“I like peanut butter,” Bevin said.

“Peanut butter it is,” Rhett agreed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

There was a lightness to his step despite his aching back as he crossed the road, his mind running with ideas for future meals together.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit of a transitional chapter.

His neighbors were ignoring him. Rhett had been able to excuse their strange behavior at first. Maybe they didn’t wave back because they didn’t see him. Maybe they didn’t speak because they didn’t hear him say hello. But soon, it became so obvious that he couldn’t make excuses for them anymore.

No one said a word to him as he set out on his morning walk. Michaela ignored him as she jogged past him, her feet pounding on the sidewalk, no cheerful shouts of hello or good morning like usual. The group of roommates who lived three houses down sped past him in their car on their way to school, all of their faces turned away from him. Even Joe, the kind elderly man who often walked part of the way with him, refused to return his greeting.

Someone had seen him with Bevin and spread the word. It wasn't even a question. The realization made his blood boil. So what if Bevin's house was an eyesore that lowered everyone’s property values? So what if he was weird and dirty, and never wore anything besides his nasty pajamas? He was still a person! A person who Rhett had started to think of as a friend over the past few weeks. 

They ate dinner together more often than they didn’t these days, sharing meals and conversation on Bevin’s front porch as the last light of day faded. Rhett found him friendly and easy to talk to. He was a nice guy despite his eccentricities. He didn’t deserve to be treated like dirt.

So why did Rhett always feel like he had to sneak around to visit him? Why did he always wait for dusk to cross the road? Why did he care what their neighbors thought?

Shame licked at the back of his mind, threatening to flare into guilt.

With his mind on fire, he marched all the way back to Bevin’s house and knocked on the door. It took a moment for the door to swing open, but when he did, it revealed Bevin blinking up at him through heavily lidded eyes. “Rhett?” he asked, his voice hoarse with sleep. “What’re you doing here? It’s morning.”

“Do you have any shoes?” Rhett nearly barked at the drowsy man. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Bevin was the last person he wanted to take his anger out on.

“Shoes?” Bevin repeated, the word sounding foreign on his lips.

“Yes, shoes,” Rhett repeated. “We’re going for a walk.”

“We are?” Bevin asked, but after a pause, he added, “You mean, you want to spend time with me during the day? In- In public and everything?”

“You’re my friend. Why wouldn’t I want to be seen with you in public?” Rhett pushed down the shame that wanted to rise again, and made a silent promise to himself to be a better friend in the future. How could he have been so cruel?

What could only be described as a giggle exploded from from Bevin’s chest, a smile lighting up his face. “Really?”

“Really.” Rhett couldn’t help the twitch of his lips in response. Bevin’s smile could outshine the sun. “So, you do have some shoes, right?”

“I’ll be right back,” Bevin said as he disappeared back into his house, his giggles echoing behind him.

Three minutes later, he reappeared with a brown boot on one foot and a pink flip-flop on the other. “Got my shoes.”

Rhett chuckled lightly. “Let’s go.”

Of course they got stares and whispered comments, but Rhett wasn’t bothered. The sheer joy on Bevin’s face eased all of his lingering doubts and fears. He was doing the right thing. His other neighbors weren’t his friends anyway, so why did their opinions matter so much? All he ever got from them were hellos and chats about the weather, nothing like the conversations he had with Bevin.

Rhett looked over at Bevin as they slowed and rounded a corner on the way back toward their houses. The sunlight filtered through the trees above and left a dappled pattern on Bevin’s skin, hiding the sweat and grime. His goofy smile hadn’t faded one bit, his happy expression clear for all to see. His eyes were wide and looked extra blue in the natural light, making him look rather handsome. Rhett’s stomach did a little flip at the realization. It wasn’t the first time he had thought it, but it felt different now that he could admit it to himself without trying to deny it. He suddenly felt compelled to hold Bevin’s hand.

Bevin noticed him looking and looked back, his gaze curious and open as their pace slowed even more. Rhett reached out and lightly brushed his pinky finger against Bevin’s, ignoring the part of his mind that was screaming at him about when was the last time Bevin had washed his hands or taken a shower.

“Rhett?” Bevin asked, softly, his smile fading for the first time since it had appeared. “Are you sure you want to do that? What if the neighbors see?”

“I don’t care what anyone thinks,” Rhett replied. He brushed his hand against Bevin’s again, and this time, Bevin let him tangle their fingers together.

Rhett’s heart did a little jig in his chest, beating far too fast for the amount of activity they were doing. Bevin’s hand was warm and soft in his, and it fit just right. As he tightened his grip, all thoughts of unwashed hands faded from his mind. He swung their hands merrily between them as they walked, making Bevin giggle again. Rhett found that he really liked that sound.

——————————-

Days turned into weeks, and Rhett and Bevin continued to share daily walks and dinners, their hands entwined more often than not. One morning, Rhett made a decision as he stepped up onto the lopsided porch to say goodbye to Bevin before leaving for work. Instead of the see-you-laters they usually exchanged, Rhett gave Bevin's hand a squeeze. “I have an idea to share, if you might want to hear it,” he said.

“Of course I want to hear it,” Bevin said, smiling.

Rhett smiled back. “I was thinking maybe I could help you clean up your yard over the weekend. How would that be?” He’d wanted to offer for a long time, but he hadn’t been sure how to go about it. Just ask, his mind had finally told him. No one actually wanted to live in such a mess, after all. It couldn’t possibly go wrong.

The color drained from Bevin’s face. “What?” he breathed.

“I said-“

“I know what you said!” Bevin snapped, raising his voice for the first time since Rhett had known him. He tore his hand away from Rhett’s and held it to his chest as if he’d been burned. “Don’t you dare mess with my yard! Don’t you dare touch my stuff,” he hissed. “Don’t even think about it.”

Rhett held both of his hands up, his mind racing in a million different directions. “But, I just- You know I wouldn’t steal anything from you, man. I just want to help you.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t need your help, and I certainly don’t want it,” Bevin said in a low, dangerous voice. He glared at Rhett for a moment before turning and going into his house. He slammed the door shut behind him, the lock clicking a second later.

Rhett was in a daze as he walked back across the street. He sat down in his car, tears starting to sting in the corners of his eyes. How had it all gone so wrong? He was such an idiot. It took all he had in him to wipe away the tears and crank his car so he wouldn’t be late.

There would be no more morning walks or evening meals with Bevin, no more hand holding and easy conversations, no more brilliant smiles and soft giggles to make the day better. Rhett’s stomach hurt deep inside, or maybe that was his heart.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bevin’s past is revealed in this chapter, and I think it’s only fair if I warm you ahead of time that it contains some possible triggers. I’m not sure what all needs to be mentioned, but the biggest one is talk of murders/death (all OCs, no main characters). Also, lots of very hungry cats (but you knew about that from the video).
> 
> Here comes some super unrealistic writing. I’m sorry. :/

The next week was agony for Rhett. Somehow, he hadn’t realized how entangled his life had become with Bevin’s until he wasn’t there, or how much he had come to rely on the friendship they had built together. He frequently caught himself starting to make another plate when he ate dinner, his feet aching to carry him across the road and share. He’d think of something interesting and want to tell Bevin, but he no longer had the chance. The loneliness that had long been part of his life was back again, stronger than ever, eating away at his core. He felt like he was being punished for something that he hadn’t even known he had done.

His work days seemed to last twice as long as they should have, the hours stretching out into days before him in an endless cycle. He started to bring home work to keep himself busy, filling out forms while he ate his dinner alone, his hand holding a cold ink pen instead of a warm hand.

He was in the middle of proofreading an important document one late Sunday afternoon when someone knocked on his door. He finished reading the sentence he was in the middle of checking before he dropped his pen and stood to see who it was. He looked out through the peephole and found his porch empty. It was probably one of those stupid college kids who lived three houses down, playing a drunken prank on him. Rhett shook his head and went back to his work.

Another knock came five minutes later. Rhett sighed as he dropped his pen again. He looked through the peephole, again seeing no one. He groaned in frustration. He really wasn’t in the mood for this kind of nonsense.

The third time someone knocked, he yanked the door open without even looking through the peephole first. He was prepared to shout at the college kids, but instead, his breath came out in a gasp.

The man standing in front of him was oddly familiar, but Rhett couldn’t quite place him.

“Who- Who are you?” he asked. “Why did you keep knocking on my door and then disappearing?”

“I’m sorry. I was scared, I guess. I figured you would be mad at me,” the man said, in a voice that was unmistakably Bevin’s. “Can I come in and talk to you, Rhett? Please? I took a taxi to the truck stop so I could shower and buy a new outfit and everything, all so I wouldn’t get your house dirty.”

“Bevin? You look…” Rhett stammered, his eyes sweeping over the other man. His dark hair was fluffy and clean, combed sideways in a way that revealed his high forehead. He wore a forest green t-shirt and a pair of tight jeans, with two matching sneakers on his feet. Even his skin was clean, the layers of dust, grime and sweat gone. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks.” A smile twitched at the corner of Bevin’s lips. “So can I come in? I’ve got some explaining to do.”

“Sure,” Rhett said, as he stepped back to let Bevin in. He led him to the living room, gesturing to the couch. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“No thanks, I’m okay. Nice place,” Bevin said, as he looked around.

“Thanks. So, what did you want to talk about?” Rhett asked, as he sat down on his recliner. He wanted to sit on the couch next to Bevin, but he wasn’t sure if that was a good idea.

Bevin took a deep breath. “It’s about what you said the other day. I know you didn’t say it to be mean, but…” 

“About cleaning up your yard?” Rhett asked.

“Yeah.” Bevin pulled his legs up onto the couch, crossing them in front of himself in the way he so often did when they sat on the porch. “I’m really sorry for yelling at you like that, and for staying away for so long. I didn’t know what to do. There’s a lot that you need to know. A lot that I haven’t ever told anyone. I mean, my family knows, but no one _really_ knows everything, except for my half-brother, Donny. You look a lot like him, did I ever tell you?”

Rhett shook his head, choosing to remain silent. He’d never known that Bevin had any siblings at all.

“It’s uncanny. You actually look a lot more like you’d be his brother than I do,” Bevin said. “He’s probably as tall as you too.”

“Oh yeah?” It wasn’t every day that he crossed paths with someone his height.

“Yeah. Anyway, he stayed with me for a while at first, convinced me to get out of old man Joe’s attic and stay in the house. He came to visit me about a year ago. I almost thought he had never moved out for a second. He just snuck up on me.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand,” Rhett said, as he tried to process what he was being told.

“I used to be a neat freak, do you believe that?” Bevin asked, and then he paused, as if waiting for a response. When Rhett didn’t say anything, he went on. “I really was. I couldn’t sleep if there was anything out of place, or even a single dish left unwashed. My worst nightmares were filled with mutated germs trying to get me. I had screen cleaning sprees, for Pete’s sake!”

“You mean spring cleaning?” Rhett asked.

“No, I mean screen cleaning. I went around and cleaned all of the- You know what, never mind.” Bevin rubbed his forehead, massaging his temples. “What I’m trying to say is that I don’t deserve your help. I don’t deserve a clean yard, or a clean house. You never should have started talking to me. You shouldn’t have helped me with the tire. You should have just left me to rot with my stuff.”

“What? Bevin, don’t say that,” Rhett said softly. All of his remaining hurt vanished and he moved to go sit on the couch. He pulled Bevin into his arms, refusing to let go when when Bevin tried to pull away. “Come here.”

“I don’t-“

“Shh, just hold on a minute. Take a deep breath.” Rhett relaxed his hold when Bevin stopped fighting, his body going limp in Rhett’s arms, his head coming to rest on Rhett’s shoulder. Rhett rubbed Bevin’s back, making what he hoped were soothing circles on his shirt. “You smell really good,” he whispered after a moment, hoping for a laugh, but it was true. The smell of generic soap mixed well with Bevin’s natural scent, and Rhett couldn’t get enough. He buried his nose in the other man’s soft hair, taking deep breaths.

“Stop sniffing me,” Bevin said, but there was a lightness to his voice that hadn’t been there moments before. “Let go.”

“No,” Rhett argued. It felt so good to have Bevin in his arms. He’d wanted to do this for so long. “I’m never letting you go.”

“There’s something you really need to know about me before you start saying things like that.” Bevin tried to pull away again, but there wasn’t much effort in his movements.

Rhett tried to control his face as realization set in. Maybe Bevin wasn’t interested in him the way Rhett wanted him to be. Maybe he wasn’t interested in men at all, and was trying to stop their relationship before it could even really get started. “Look, if you don’t want to take our…thing, whatever it is, any further than hand holding, I understand,” he said, trying to find a way to help Bevin get whatever was bothering him out. “It’s okay.”

“What? No, it’s not that,” Bevin said. “I’ve seen the looks you’ve been giving me all along, and I didn’t believe they could possibly be real at first, but Rhett, the day you first took my hand in public and didn’t care who saw, something shifted in me and suddenly I felt so much...longing, for you. I know it’s wrong-“

“It’s not wrong,” Rhett said, softly.

“It is wrong because I’m a horrible person,” Bevin said, his voice soft and low. “You don’t want to be with me. You wouldn’t even want to be my friend if you knew.“

“So tell me what I don’t know so I can make my own mind up.” Rhett’s voice was harsher than he meant it to, but he was growing frustrated.

“I never used to be like this,” Bevin said. “My old self would be disgusted by me now, if he could see me. I used to be a real person, with a good job and a wife and twin sons.”

Rhett’s breath hitched. “You were married?”

Bevin nodded. “We met in college and got married a week after graduation. The boys came along a year later. Barry and Benjamin, they were called. Our little family felt complete.”

“I don’t see what’s so terrible about that,” Rhett whispered. It was unexpected, but certainly not terrible.

Bevin shook his head. “Marcia, my wife, had this ex, Michael. He’d been obsessed with her ever since they dated during freshman year. Our neighbors say I’m crazy, but they don’t know what that can mean. None of them know what really happened. I let them think we got divorced. Most of them didn’t even live here yet. Anway, Michael used to call and harass us, night and day, just ranting nonsense. We changed our number several times, but Michael kept finding the new ones. His calls never stopped.

“One day, he broke into our house. No one was home at the time and he didn’t take anything, but it scared Marcia. She wanted to move, but I said no. I promised I would protect her if he ever tried anything again.” 

A shudder ran through Bevin’s whole body, his breath coming in short gasps. Rhett pulled him closer, cradling him, rocking him softly.

“He did try again, and I hid in the closet while he…” Bevin sucked in air, openly crying. “He killed them, Rhett, shot them. While I sat there hiding and did nothing. I didn’t protect them. I didn’t even try! I just ran into the closet as soon as I heard the window break. I was terrified. I couldn’t stand it when the police showed up and found me. I- I saw their bodies. I’ll never forget.”

Rhett didn’t know what to say to calm the sobbing man in his arms. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he murmured. He ached for Bevin, his own eyes tearing up as he did his best to understand what he had been told.

“I couldn’t stay there. I hid out and lived in Joe’s attic for a few months, until Donny came to stay with me. He lived with me for years before I was okay to be left alone in my house, and by that time, the house was already a wreck and I knew none of it really mattered anyway. And that’s… It’s been almost twenty years. The mess is way over my head now.”

“Look at me,” Rhett said, gently cupping Bevin’s face. He thumbed away the tears on Bevin’s face, but it was useless because they were soon replaced by more. “Did the police catch him?”

“Yeah,” Bevin said. “He ran, but they got him. He’s in prison for life. They said he was on some kind of drugs and might not have known what he was doing. He was strong and hard to capture. I’m glad they caught him, I am, but the police should have taken me too.”

“No,” Rhett said. “You did what anyone would do in that situation. He would have killed you too, if he’d seen you. I’m so sorry for what you’ve lost and that you feel so guilty, but I wish you could see it the way I do. You’re not responsible for their deaths.”

“But I am,” Bevin insisted. “If I had agreed to move, or if I hadn’t been such a coward...“

“You can’t play the if game because there are no answers.” Rhett stroked Bevin’s face, feeling the smoothness of his skin. “If he could find your new phone numbers, he could have found your new address.” 

“I don’t really know anymore,” Bevin admitted, as another round of sobs tore from his throat.

Rhett held Bevin close, rubbing his back and murmuring reassurances into his ear. Only when Bevin's sobs had faded into soft hiccups, did he say anything else. “Thank you so much for sharing your story with me,” he said. “I want you to know that I don’t think any less of you, and I still want to help you, if you want me to.”

“Okay. But you don’t want to be with me now, not like that.” Bevin sniffled. “Do you?”

Rhett paused, his mind arguing with his heart. As much as it hurt him, he had to do what was best for Bevin. “I really like you, and if you feel the same way, I’d like to be in a relationship with you.”

“But?” Bevin prompted.

“But I think we need to take things really slow. Would you consider seeing a counselor? And we can work on finding someone to get your house cleaned up. I think it’s a job for professionals, not just two guys and some trash bags. In the meantime, you can stay here with me, if you want.”

“Yeah, yes to all of it,” Bevin said. For the first time since Rhett had wrapped his arms around him, Bevin hugged him back. “Can I show you my house? There’s one more problem that I think you need to see.”

——

Somehow, the inside of Bevin’s house was even worse than Rhett had expected. A horrible, putrid smell permeated the air. Thin trails of bare flooring were visible through literal mountains of garbage, the piles on each side threatening to fall at any moment. The carpet was stained, the wallpaper peeling. It looked like Bevin hadn’t thrown a single thing away in over a decade. 

“I told you it was bad,” Bevin said in a small voice. 

Rhett squeezed his hand in reassurance as he stepped inside, carefully breathing through his mouth. “What did you want me to see?”

“Here, watch,” Bevin said, as he led Rhett into the what might have been the living room at one point in time. He picked up a big bag of cat food from the floor and ripped it open, the dry kibble going everywhere.

Suddenly the floor was moving, meows and growls echoing from all directions as cats appeared out of nowhere, rushing for the food.

“I started taking in strays to keep me company a few years after, well, you know,” Bevin said. “But I had lost my job and I didn’t have enough money to get them fixed, and so they had kittens and more kittens, and now there’s so many of them. They’re hungry and dirty, and sometimes I’ll find one dead. And I just can’t handle it. I wanted to help them, Rhett. I just wanted to help them. I didn’t mean to hurt them.”

Rhett had never liked cats much, but he felt bad as he watched skinny, flea bitten cats compete with even skinnier ones for a few bites of food. He looked away, focusing on Bevin instead. “I know you did your best. And you know what? I happened to meet the owner of that new no-kill shelter the other day. He seemed like a nice guy. I’m sure he can take them in and make sure they get new homes and plenty of food. I’ll call and talk to him as soon as they open in the morning.”

Bevin nodded even as tears began to fall from his eyes again. He looked utterly exhausted, purple bags under his eyes. This had been a hard day for him. “Thank you,” he said, his bottom lip wobbling. “I never thought I’d ever get out of this mess.”

“Come on, let’s go back to my house,” Rhett said, as he reached for Bevin’s hand. He pulled him into a brief hug before leading him back to the front door. “I think you need to get some rest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to be honest and say that I’m not entirely happy with this chapter. I wasn’t sure if the talk about Rhett and Bevin being in a relationship should have even been mentioned during everything else, but I didn’t like it any other way that I tried to do it either.
> 
> I hope this chapter didn’t disappoint anyone. I’m really sorry if it did. :(


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone who has left me comments and/or kudos on this fic. I sincerely appreciate them all! 
> 
> Well, here’s the last chapter. This fic has turned out to be shorter than I expected, but I’m not the best at writing long stories. I hope you like it.

Rhett smiled as he listened to the water running in his bathroom. Bevin was taking a second shower before bed, enjoying a luxury that he had skipped out on for so many years. Rhett was starting to see how he had once been a neat freak as old patterns and habits slowly came back to him.

When Bevin finally appeared, dressed in a pair of Rhett’s pajamas with the pant legs rolled up, Rhett smiled and patted the bed beside him. “Hey, handsome.”

“Hey,” Bevin said, and gave Rhett one of his brilliant smiles in return. He sat down beside Rhett and leaned his head against his shoulder, yawning. “I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed a pair of your pajamas. Mine are all in the wash.”

“You know I don’t mind when you wear my clothes,” Rhett assured him. “How are you doing? Feel any better after your shower?”

“A little bit. My teeth just feel so weird without the braces,” Bevin admitted. “They were pretty sensitive when I brushed them.”

“The dentist said that should get better with time,” Rhett reminded him, as he snaked an arm around Bevin’s shoulders. Most people don’t get braces put on and then simply never come back to get them off. They had done damage to Bevin’s teeth, but nothing that was beyond repair. If anything, the dentist had been surprised that the braces were still there after so many years. The old glue they used to use was really something, apparently. “You’ll have to get used to wearing glasses too, when they come in.”

Bevin nodded against Rhett’s chest and sighed. “I feel like I’ve been through the ringer today,” he said. “Dentist, doctor, optometrist. I’m supposed to see Kate tomorrow morning for my regular session too, but I almost wish I could skip it and sleep in instead.”

It had been six months since he had started seeing his counselor, and he had finally been accepted into a support program that helped struggling people like him see doctors and other medical professionals. Eventually, he wanted to be able to work again and get health insurance, but he wasn’t there just yet. Thankfully his doctor’s appointment had gone well, no problems, though he couldn’t say the same for his dentist and optometrist visits.

“Probably shouldn’t. She’ll call and wake us up if you don’t show up,” Rhett said. “But the day after that, we can stay in bed all day if you want.”

”That sounds wonderful,” Bevin said, with a low chuckle. He ran a hand through his wet hair, pushing it out of his face. “Do you want to go with me tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Rhett agreed, giving Bevin a gentle squeeze. “Whatever you want. Maybe we can grab breakfast out afterwards. That little place downtown?”

“Sounds good.” Bevin looked up at Rhett with tired eyes and a sweet smile on his face. “I love you, you know.”

“I love you too. So much,” Rhett said, and leaned down for a kiss, savoring the soft feel of Bevin’s lips against his. Rhett wanted to deepen it, drag it out, maybe slip a hand up Bevin’s pajama top to see if he could get him going, but he could see that Bevin was barely able to stay awake as it was. They would have to save that for another day. Still, he was thankful that they were able to be together properly now, as boyfriends and equals, after months of work and hundreds of deep conversations. Bevin’s house had been professionally cleaned and placed on the market, and now Rhett’s house was officially their home together.

Rhett pouted when Bevin broke the kiss and pulled away. No matter how many he got, one thing he knew for sure was that he would never get enough Bevin kisses to satisfy him. 

“Oh don’t give me that look,” Bevin said. He gave Rhett one more quick kiss before he shifted to lie down under the covers. He wiggled around for a moment, getting comfortable on the plush mattress and looked up at Rhett. “C’mon, get in here. You’re tired too. I can tell.”

Rhett smiled as he got under the covers beside Bevin. He pressed a kiss to the top of Bevin’s head, breathing in his familiar scent as he wrapped him in his arms and held him tight. “Goodnight, Bevin.”

Bevin giggled softly, his breath warm on Rhett’s chest. “Goodnight. Sleep tight.”

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” Rhett finished the little rhyme. 

Bevin poked him in the side. “There are no bed bugs here. Just you and me.”

Rhett chuckled softly and closed his eyes. It wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep, his boyfriend cuddled close.

——

Half an hour later, the bedroom door was nudged open, and a small black cat slipped into the room. She hopped up onto the oversized bed and curled against her sleeping human’s back, seeking his warmth. Her human loved her, unlike his mate who only tolerated her. She tolerated him too, because she was happy to be an only cat in a clean home with a full tummy and no fleas, and it was all thanks to him. Her human was happy, fed and clean too, and that thought made her so happy that she purred as she closed her eyes to sleep.

This was the life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading!


End file.
